The air in the courtroom hallway was cold—sharp as a knife's edge.
Amelia's heart pounded so fiercely it felt as if it might shatter her ribcage.
Her mother… the woman who had disappeared from her life without a trace, the woman she'd long believed dead…
Was now standing before her.
Alive.
And more dangerous than ever.
Her mother's gaze was calm, but beneath that serenity lay storms untold.
Lines of hardship etched her once-beautiful face, but her eyes…
They burned with a fire Amelia hadn't seen in anyone but herself.
"Mother…" Amelia's voice cracked, her lips trembling.
Her mother reached out, her cool fingers brushing gently against Amelia's tear-dampened cheek.
"You've grown strong, my daughter," she whispered, her voice soft but unwavering.
"Now it's time for you to know the truth that will end all of this."
The next day, the courtroom was packed beyond capacity.
The entire nation tuned in to witness the final chapter of the most scandalous trial in modern history.
And when Amelia's mother took the stand, a hush descended that felt almost holy.
She sat tall, her presence commanding despite the weight of years.
Her voice, though low, carried across the room like the ringing of a death knell.
"Years ago," she began, "Adrian Hale wasn't just a manipulator. He was a criminal. And I have the documents to prove it."
Gasps erupted through the crowd.
Adrian stood abruptly, his face pale, his lips curled in a silent snarl.
"She's lying! This is nothing but a setup!"
But before he could utter another word, Amelia's mother pulled out a series of aged, sealed documents.
Official court files.
Records of Adrian Hale's underground dealings, illegal transactions, and—worst of all—a signed confession he'd made years ago… to avoid prosecution by sacrificing Amelia's reputation instead.
The courtroom was in chaos.
Amelia stood tall, her eyes burning with unshed tears as the last weight of her past was finally lifted.
And Ethan Blake?
He sat frozen.
Defeated.
His plan shattered before his eyes.